Jan Baptist van Rensselaer

Jan Baptist van Rensselaer
portrait attributed to John Watson (1685-1768)
3rd Patroon of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck
In office
1652 – 1658
Preceded byJohannes van Rensselaer
Succeeded byJeremias van Rensselaer
Personal details
Born18 March 1629
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Died24 October 1678 (1678-10-25) (aged 49)
Amsterdam, Netherlands
SpouseSusanna van Wely
Children1
Parent(s)Kiliaen van Rensselaer
Anna van Wely
RelativesSee Van Rensselaer family
OccupationMerchant, Patroon
New Netherland series
Exploration
Fortifications:
  • Fort Amsterdam
  • Fort Nassau (North)
  • Fort Orange
  • Fort Nassau (South)
  • Fort Goede Hoop
  • De Wal
  • Fort Casimir
  • Fort Altena
  • Fort Wilhelmus
  • Fort Beversreede
  • Fort Nya Korsholm
  • De Rondout
Settlements:
The Patroon System
People of New Netherland
Flushing Remonstrance
A black, circular seal with a notched, outer border. The center contains a shield or crest with a crown atop it. In the shield is a beaver. Surrounding the shield are the words "SIGILLVM NOVI BELGII".
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Rensselaerswyck series
Dutch West India Company
The Patroon System
Map of Rensselaerswyck
Patroons of Rensselaerswyck:

Kiliaen van Rensselaer
(1630–1640s)
Various
(1640s–1652)
Jan Baptist van Rensselaer
(1652–1658)
Jeremias van Rensselaer
(1658–1674)
Kiliaen van Rensselaer
(1674–1687)
Kiliaen van Rensselaer
(1687–1719)[1]
Jeremias van Rensselaer
(1719–1745)
Stephen van Rensselaer I
(1745–1747)
Stephen van Rensselaer II
(1747–1769)
Abraham Ten Broeck
(1769–1784, de facto)
Stephen van Rensselaer III
(1784–1839)

On a white background, three black glyphs appear, aligned vertically and connected along one vertical line which shares at least one line within each glyph except for the bottom one. On top is the number 4, written with the top closed. Its horizontal line extends to the right and is intercepted by a vertical line making a cross. Its vertical line continues below to form the vertical line of a letter R. That line continues down to connect to a letter W, which is written like two letters V crossing each other. The vertical line connects to this intersection point.

Jan Baptist van Rensselaer (18 March 1629, in Amsterdam[2] – 24 October 1678, in Amsterdam[3]) was the second son of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the first Patroon of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck.

Early life

Jan Baptist van Rensselaer was born in Amsterdam. He was the second son of Kiliaen van Rensselaer (1586–1643), and his first son by his second wife, Anna van Wely (c. 1601–1670). His father was a successful diamond and pearl merchant from Amsterdam who was one of the founders and directors of the Dutch West India Company, instrumental in the establishment of New Netherland.

Manor of Rensselaerswyck

In the spring of 1651, Jan Baptist sailed from Amsterdam on the Gelderse Blom (Gelderland Flower). With him travelled twelve employees hired by the Patroon,[4] recruited from places where the Van Rensselaers had other interests. Jan Baptist was the first Van Rensselaer to visit the colony.[5]

In May 1652, he was appointed Director of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck representing his brother Johan van Rensselaer (1625–1663), the second Patroon. During his residence on the estate, he lived in a style befitting his position, having brought furniture, silverware, and other personal property of much value from Holland, including portraits of the members of the van Rensselaer family.[6] In 1656, he provided the window pane representing the van Rensselaer coat of arms in the Dutch Church of Beverwyck . Not long afterward he returned to Holland, becoming one of the leading merchants of Amsterdam.

When he returned to Holland in 1658, he was succeeded as Director of the Manor by his brother Jeremias van Rensselaer.[7]

Personal life

Jan Baptist married Susanna van Wely, and together they had:

  • Kiliaen van Rensselaer, who died without issue.[8]

Van Rensselaer died in Amsterdam, Holland, October 24, 1678[5]

Gallery

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jan Baptist van Rensselaer.
Notes
  1. ^ Spooner 1907, p.17
  2. ^ Birth Certificate Amsterdam City Archive[dead link]
  3. ^ Burial certificate Amsterdam City Archive
  4. ^ Nieuwenhuis, Pim. "Abstracts from Notarial Documents in the Amsterdam Archives", New Netherland Connections
  5. ^ a b Spooner, Walter Whipple (January 1907). "The Van Rensselaer Family", American Historical Magazine, Vol. 2, No. 1, p. 207.
  6. ^ Spooner, W. W. (January 1907). "The Van Rensselaer Family". American Historical Magazine. 2 (1): 13.
  7. ^ Van Rensselaer, Jeremias. Correspondence of Jeremias Van Rensselaer, 1651-1674, edited by A.J.F. Van Laer, University of the State of New York, 1932
  8. ^ Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs, Cuyler Reynolds, ed., Lewis Historical Publishing Company, New York, 1911
Sources
This article incorporates text from an article in American Historical Magazine, by W. W. Spooner (1907), a publication now in the public domain.
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This list is not complete, and should be taken as a rough guideline depending on the notability of a respective family member.
1st generation
Kilian van Rensselaer
2nd generation
Issue of Kilian
Johan van Rensselaer
Jan Baptist van Rensselaer
Jeremias van Rensselaer
Nicholas van Rensselaer (minister)
3rd generation
Issue of Johan
Kiliaen van Rensselaer
Issue of Jeremias
Johannes (John) Van Rensselaer
Kilian van Rensselaer
Hendrick van Rensselaer
4th generation
Issue of Kilian
Jeremias van Rensselaer
Stephen van Rensselaer I
5th generation
6th generation
7th generation
Served as patroon or director of Rensselaerswyck